Edmonton Design Week: Local Inspiration

*** The following was written by Laura Lynn for Cottswood Interiors’ blog. Read the full post here.***

In honour of Edmonton’s inaugural Design Week, we’ve decided to celebrate a few of our very favourite public interiors around the city and share a few tips for how you can recreate elements of these extraordinary spaces in your home.

Fairmont Hotel MacDonald Confederation Lounge

Is there anything more romantic than a chateau-style castle? The Hotel MacDonald has been an iconic part of Edmonton’s skyline since 1915. Perched over the North Saskatchewan, it’s easy to forget you’re in the heart of the downtown core when you’re surrounded by a panoramic view of the river valley. The Confederation Lounge, which branches directly off from the hotel’s main lobby, is a hidden gem to many. But for those in the know, there is nowhere else in the city that quite compares.

While the Hotel Mac’s patio is the ideal spot to enjoy an indulgent meal in front of a picturesque backdrop during the summer months, its library-style lounge is the perfect place to take in that same breathtaking vista in the winter time. When the snow starts to fall, we don’t think there’s anything quite better than sipping a cup of Fairmont’s signature tea blend from the comfort of a fireside wing-backed armchair upholstered in decadent fabric.

If you’re looking for a bit of decadence to fit within your very own castle, Cottswood has you covered.

Tucker Amphitheatre

When most people think of a tropical oasis, they don’t think of Edmonton. And yet, any hour of the day, you need only take the elevator to the top of the Citadel Theatre’s glass encased solarium for a secluded piece of paradise, complete with cascading vines, moody light, terracotta tiles, and a whole jungle of exotic plants at the top of the space’s slate titled waterfall.

At Cottswood, you can find the perfect piece to bring a taste of the tropics up to the 53rd parallel.

ACE Coffee Roasters

Here at Cottswood, we’ve been longtime fans of Leva Café. Back in our University days, it was a cozy and stylish spot to grab a true Italian-style espresso to fuel late-night study sessions. As we’ve matured, Leva continues to be one of our favourite date night destinations for sharing some prosecco and pizza.

At the newly opened ACE Coffee Roastery, that signature posh European taste you’d expect from the same team that conceived Leva has carved a hip niche into the bones of a historic metal smelting shop just a couple blocks south of Whyte Avenue. Think white marble, buttery blonde leather, and exposed timbre rafters all showered in natural light.

The intersection of industrial chic with neutral minimalism has become very popular in recent years. We love this style both for its honesty of materials and the timelessness of its simplicity, and Cottswood has plenty of pieces to bring this style home.